The May Queen Set - George Baxter

Gift of Henry M. Huxley

"The May Queen Set" by George Baxter (1858) Steel etching, aquatint, and stipple printed in black, with block printing in colors (from 8 blocks), on ivory wove paper.

Commentary

"The May Queen Set" by George Baxter (1858) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of the expressive work. Themes to n otice include wood engraving. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. George Baxter is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: George Baxter English, 1804-1867. The work is cataloged within a England cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as wood engraving, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Steel etching, aquatint, and stipple printed in black, with block printing in colors (from 8 blocks), on ivory wove paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Sheet (trimmed): 10.2 × 13.4 cm (4 1/16 × 5 5/16 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include wood engraving. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/54175

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data